I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5996 

To reauthorize and amend the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 5, 2018 

Ms. BORDALLO (for herself, Mr. SOTO, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. CRIST, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. HANABUSA, Ms. 

GABBARD, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico, 

Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. PLASKETT, and Mr. MAST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 

Resources, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To reauthorize and amend the Coral Reef Conservation Act 

of 2000, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Coral Reef Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2018’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 


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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO CORAL REEF CONSERVATION ACT OF 

2000 

Sec. 101. Revisions to purposes of Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. 

Sec. 102. Revisions to National Coral Reef Action Strategy. 

Sec. 103. Revisions to Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program. 

Sec. 104. Coral reef public-private partnership. 

Sec. 105. Revisions to emergency assistance. 

Sec. 106. Revisions to National Program. 

Sec. 107. Revisions to effectiveness reports. 

Sec. 108. Establishment of United States Coral Reef Task Force. 

Sec. 109. Agreements. 

Sec. 110. Permits. 

Sec. 111. Regulations. 

Sec. 112. Use of recovered amounts. 

Sec. 113. Revisions to authorization of appropriations. 

Sec. 114. Revisions to definitions. 

Sec. 115. Conforming and clerical amendments. 

TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR CORAL REEF 

AUTHORITIES 

Sec. 201. Coral reef conservation and assistance. 

Sec. 202. National coral reef action strategy. 

Sec. 203. USGS Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies Program. 

Sec. 204. Use of recovered amounts. 

Sec. 205. Authorization of appropriations. 

Sec. 206. Definitions. 

TITLE III—AMENDMENTS TO NATIONAL FISHING ENHANCEMENT 

ACT OF 1984 

Sec. 301. Revisions to National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984. 

TITLE IV—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 

Sec. 401. Stock assessments under Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 

and Management Act. 

Sec. 402. Measures to combat invasive lionfish. 

1 TITLE I—AMENDMENTS TO 

2 CORAL REEF CONSERVATION 

3 ACT OF 2000 

4 SEC. 101. REVISIONS TO PURPOSES OF CORAL REEF CON5 SERVATION ACT OF 2000. 

6 Section 202 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 

7 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

2 end; 

3 (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at 

4 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(7) to ensure healthy and resilient coral reefs 

7 for the benefit of island and coastal communities 

8 and the United States.’’. 

9 SEC. 102. REVISIONS TO NATIONAL CORAL REEF ACTION 

10 STRATEGY. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 203 of the Coral Reef 

12 Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6402) is amended— 

13 (1) in subsection (a)— 

14 (A) by inserting ‘‘Natural’’ before ‘‘Re15 sources’’; 

16 (B) by striking ‘‘this national strategy’’ 

17 and inserting ‘‘the national coral reef action 

18 strategy or any review or revision to such strat19 egy’’; 

20 (C) by striking ‘‘may consult’’ and insert21 ing ‘‘shall consult’’; and 

22 (D) by striking ‘‘Executive Order 13089 

23 (June 11, 1998)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 209’’; 

24 and 

25 (2) in subsection (b)— 


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1 (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 

2 by striking ‘‘goals and objectives as well as an 

3 implementation plan’’ and inserting ‘‘goals, ob4 jectives, and an implementation plan’’; 

5 (B) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

6 the end; 

7 (C) by amending paragraph (8) to read as 

8 follows: 

9 ‘‘(8) conservation, including how the use of ma10 rine protected areas to serve as replenishment zones 

11 will be developed consistent with local practices and 

12 traditions and in cooperation with, and with respect 

13 for the scientific, technical, and management exper14 tise and responsibilities of, State fish and wildlife 

15 management agencies;’’. 

16 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(9) the condition of coral reefs located within 

18 maritime areas and zones subject to the jurisdiction 

19 or control of the United States; 

20 ‘‘(10) emerging threats to coral health, includ21 ing changes in ocean temperature and chemistry and 

22 such threats identified under section 204(d)(3); 

23 ‘‘(11) adaptive management approaches with 

24 clearly identifiable, measurable, and science-based 

25 goals; and 


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1 ‘‘(12) restoration efforts, including improving 

2 coral reef resiliency.’’. 

3 (b) DEADLINE.—Not later than 3 years after the 

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall re5 view and revise the national coral reef action strategy de6 veloped under section 203 of the Coral Reef Conservation 

7 Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6402). 

8 SEC. 103. REVISIONS TO CORAL REEF CONSERVATION 

9 GRANT PROGRAM. 

10 Section 204 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 

11 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6403) is amended— 

12 (1) in the heading, by inserting ‘‘GRANT’’ be13 fore ‘‘PROGRAM’’; 

14 (2) in subsection (d)— 

15 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘GEO16 GRAPHIC AND BIOLOGICAL’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS’’; 

18 (B) in the language preceding paragraph 

19 (1), by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ and inserting 

20 ‘‘subsection (a)’’; and 

21 (C) by amending paragraph (3) to read as 

22 follows: 

23 ‘‘(3) Remaining funds shall be awarded for 

24 projects that address priorities or emerging threats 


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1 identified by the Secretary in consultation with the 

2 United States Coral Reef Task Force, including— 

3 ‘‘(A) bleaching; 

4 ‘‘(B) mortality events; 

5 ‘‘(C) disease outbreaks; 

6 ‘‘(D) harmful algal blooms; 

7 ‘‘(E) invasive or nuisance species out8 breaks; 

9 ‘‘(F) land-based sources of pollution; 

10 ‘‘(G) overfishing; 

11 ‘‘(H) ocean acidification; 

12 ‘‘(I) coral reef restoration efforts; and 

13 ‘‘(J) regional or international priorities or 

14 threats. 

15 ‘‘(4) To the extent practicable, the Secretary 

16 shall prioritize grants to a natural resource manage17 ment authority of a State that is represented on the 

18 United States Coral Reef Task Force.’’; 

19 (3) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the 

20 following: 

21 ‘‘(3) APPLICANTS SEEKING IMMEDIATE RE22 LEASE OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any other pro23 vision of this subsection, if an applicant for assist24 ance under this section seeks an immediate release 


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1 of such assistance to respond to an emergency, the 

2 Secretary— 

3 ‘‘(A) shall by not later than 15 days after 

4 the date of receipt of the application for assist5 ance, conduct a preliminary review of the pro6 posed project and determine whether it qualifies 

7 for such a release; and 

8 ‘‘(B) if the project so qualifies, may— 

9 ‘‘(i) immediately release up to 50 per10 cent of the total amount of assistance for 

11 which the Secretary estimates the project 

12 will qualify; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) release the remainder of the total 

14 amount for which the project qualifies 

15 after providing written notification of ap16 proval of the project in accordance with 

17 paragraph (2)(D).’’; 

18 (4) in subsection (g)— 

19 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and re20 silient coral reef ecosystems’’ after ‘‘coral 

21 reefs’’; and 

22 (B) by amending paragraph (4) to read as 

23 follows: 

24 ‘‘(4) developing sound scientific information on 

25 the condition of coral reef ecosystems, threats to 


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1 such ecosystems or the biodiversity of such eco2 systems, the impacts of such threats, and potential 

3 interventions to address such threats;’’. 

4 (C) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘to im5 plement’’ and inserting ‘‘the implementation 

6 of’’; 

7 (D) in paragraph (6), by inserting ‘‘, in8 cluding how coral reefs function to protect is9 land and coastal communities’’ after ‘‘conserva10 tion’’; 

11 (E) by amending paragraph (7) to read as 

12 follows: 

13 ‘‘(7) mapping the location, distribution, and 

14 biodiversity, including taxonomic classification and 

15 related research, of coral reefs and coral reef eco16 systems;’’; 

17 (F) in paragraph (8), by inserting ‘‘and 

18 coral reef ecosystems’’ after ‘‘reefs’’; 

19 (G) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘or’’; 

20 (H) by amending paragraph (10) to read 

21 as follows: 

22 ‘‘(10) preventing or minimizing the likelihood of 

23 vessel impacts on coral reefs, particularly those 

24 areas and any at-risk reefs identified under section 


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1 207(d), including by promoting ecologically sound 

2 navigation and anchorages near coral reefs;’’; and 

3 (I) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(11) responding to, or taking action to miti5 gate the effects of, coral bleaching, disease, harmful 

6 algal blooms, ocean acidification, or other changes in 

7 ocean temperature and chemistry; 

8 ‘‘(12) developing and implementing innovative 

9 ecological interventions to build or maintain coral 

10 reef resistance and resilience to stressors; 

11 ‘‘(13) developing and implementing innovative 

12 invasive or nuisance species capture, collection, re13 moval, or trapping methods for use around coral 

14 reefs; 

15 ‘‘(14) developing and implementing cost-effec16 tive methods to restore degraded, native coral reef 

17 ecosystems, with an emphasis on techniques to ad18 vance coral recovery, growth, or resiliency; 

19 ‘‘(15) research on coral diseases, including the 

20 prevention and treatment of such diseases; 

21 ‘‘(16) understanding and cataloging coral ge22 netic diversity, including research into traits that 

23 promote resilience and applying such research to 

24 coral reef restoration efforts; 


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1 ‘‘(17) developing in situ native coral propaga2 tion sites for use in coral reef restoration projects; 

3 ‘‘(18) developing networks of ex situ coral prop4 agation nurseries for conservation, including genetic 

5 banking, captive breeding of rare species, and cap6 tive breeding of resilient coral populations for use in 

7 coral reef restoration projects; 

8 ‘‘(19) developing networks of improved, real9 time water quality monitoring along coral reefs, es10 pecially reefs impacted by land-based sources of pol11 lution including coastal runoff, sediment erosion and 

12 turbidity, and harmful algal blooms; 

13 ‘‘(20) implementing research and restoration 

14 projects that help ensure the population viability of 

15 listed coral species in United States waters as de16 tailed in the population-based recovery criteria in17 cluded in species-specific recovery plans consistent 

18 with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (1625 

19 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or 

20 ‘‘(21) supporting community-based planning 

21 and management initiatives for the protection of 

22 coral reef ecosystems identified by the community, 

23 scientific experts, or the United States Coral Reef 

24 Task Force as a high priority that— 


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1 ‘‘(A) support attainment of criteria de2 scribed in subsection (g); 

3 ‘‘(B) utilize, where applicable, watershed4 based or ecosystem-based approaches; 

5 ‘‘(C) provide for coordination with Federal 

6 and State experts and managers; 

7 ‘‘(D) build upon local approaches or mod8 els, including traditional or island-based re9 source management concepts; and 

10 ‘‘(E) complement local action strategies or 

11 regional plans for coral reef conservation ef12 forts, as applicable.’’; and 

13 (5) in subsection (j), by striking ‘‘this Act’’ and 

14 inserting ‘‘the Coral Reef Conservation Reauthoriza15 tion Act of 2018’’. 

16 SEC. 104. CORAL REEF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. 

17 Section 205 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 

18 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6404) is amended— 

19 (1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘CORAL REEF

20 CONSERVATION FUND’’ and inserting ‘‘CORAL

21 REEF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP’’; 

22 (2) in subsection (a)— 

23 (A) by striking ‘‘FUND’’ and inserting 

24 ‘‘PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP’’; 


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1 (B) by striking ‘‘, hereafter referred to as 

2 the Fund,’’; and 

3 (C) by striking ‘‘organization solely’’ and 

4 all that follows and inserting ‘‘organization— 

5 ‘‘(A) to support public-private partnerships 

6 that further the purposes of this title and are 

7 consistent with the national coral reef action 

8 strategy under section 203; 

9 ‘‘(B) to address emergency response ac10 tions undertaken or authorized under section 

11 206; and 

12 ‘‘(C) to support activities that prevent 

13 damage to coral reefs, including any at-risk 

14 reefs identified under section 207(d).’’. 

15 (3) in subsection (b)— 

16 (A) by striking ‘‘Fund’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘separate interest bearing account’’; and 

18 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘The organization is encouraged to solicit dona20 tions, funding, and in-kind services from the 

21 private sector, including nongovernmental orga22 nizations, for emergency response actions under 

23 section 206 and for activities to prevent damage 

24 to coral reefs, including any at-risk reefs identi25 fied under section 207(d).’’. 


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1 SEC. 105. REVISIONS TO EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE. 

2 Section 206 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 

3 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6405) is amended to read as follows: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 206. EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND ASSISTANCE. 

5 ‘‘(a) FEDERAL EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE.—The Sec6 retary may provide assistance, including issuing emer7 gency grants and contracts, equipment, and technical as8 sistance, to support a request from any State or local gov9 ernment agency with jurisdiction over a coral reef, or any 

10 entity contracted to act on behalf of a State or local gov11 ernment agency, to address an emergency pertaining to 

12 the coral reef or coral reef ecosystem. The costs of such 

13 assistance provided by the Secretary may be provided from 

14 an appropriate account in the Damage Assessment Res15 toration Revolving Fund established by the Department 

16 of Commerce Appropriations Act, 1991 (33 U.S.C. 2706 

17 note). 

18 ‘‘(b) FEDERAL EMERGENCY ACTION.—In coordina19 tion with other Federal, State, or local government agen20 cies as practicable, the appropriate Federal official may 

21 undertake or authorize all actions necessary to— 

22 ‘‘(1) prevent or minimize the imminent destruc23 tion, loss, or taking of, or injury to a coral reef, 

24 from— 


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1 ‘‘(A) vessel impacts, including anchors, an2 chor chains, boat moorings, groundings, and 

3 abandoned vessels; 

4 ‘‘(B) derelict fishing gear or other marine 

5 debris; 

6 ‘‘(C) unforeseen or disaster-related cir7 cumstances pertaining to coral reef ecosystems, 

8 including as a result of human activities; 

9 ‘‘(D) harmful algal blooms, coral disease 

10 outbreaks, or invasive or nuisance species out11 breaks; and 

12 ‘‘(E) unexploded ordnance or similar un13 derwater munitions; and 

14 ‘‘(2) respond rapidly to assess, stabilize, repair, 

15 recover, or restore a coral reef that is destroyed or 

16 injured, or that has lost an ecosystem function; 

17 ‘‘(3) remove or stabilize a vessel grounded on or 

18 in the vicinity of a coral reef; and 

19 ‘‘(4) otherwise provide for rapid response to, as20 sessment of, or monitoring of an emergency per21 taining to a coral reef or coral reef ecosystem. 

22 ‘‘(c) WRITTEN AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary may 

23 enter into written agreements with any State in which a 

24 coral reef is located regarding the manner in which the 

25 activities authorized under this section shall be conducted 


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1 within the affected State’s waters. Nothing in this sub2 section shall be construed to limit Federal response and 

3 restoration activity authority before any such agreement 

4 is final. 

5 ‘‘(d) COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT AGREEMENTS.— 

6 All cooperative enforcement agreements in place between 

7 the Secretary and a State affected by this title shall be 

8 updated to include enforcement of this title where appro9 priate. 

10 ‘‘(e) DAMAGE AND COST ASSESSMENT.—In carrying 

11 out this section, the Secretary shall assess damages to 

12 coral reefs and applicable response and restoration costs 

13 in consultation with State officials regarding response and 

14 damage assessment actions undertaken for coral reefs 

15 within State waters. The Secretary shall make such as16 sessments, including any related data and information, 

17 readily available to the public on a government Internet 

18 website upon completion of such assessments. 

19 ‘‘(f) DEFINITION OF APPROPRIATE FEDERAL OFFI20 CIAL.—In this section, the term ‘appropriate Federal offi21 cial’ means— 

22 ‘‘(1) the Secretary of Commerce, acting through 

23 the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At24 mospheric Administration, with respect to any coral 

25 reef or component thereof in— 


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1 ‘‘(A) any unit of the National Marine 

2 Sanctuary System; 

3 ‘‘(B) any unit of the National Estuarine 

4 Research Reserve System; 

5 ‘‘(C) any marine national monument des6 ignated by an Act of Congress or under section 

7 320301 of title 54, United States Code (com8 monly known as the Antiquities Act of 1906) 

9 under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Com10 merce; or 

11 ‘‘(D) any territorial waters under the ad12 ministrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of 

13 Commerce; or 

14 ‘‘(2) the Secretary of the Interior with respect 

15 to any coral reef or component thereof in— 

16 ‘‘(A) any unit of the National Park Sys17 tem; 

18 ‘‘(B) any unit of the National Wildlife Ref19 uge System; 

20 ‘‘(C) any national monument or marine na21 tional monument designated by an Act of Con22 gress or under section 320301 of title 54, 

23 United States Code (commonly known as the 

24 Antiquities Act of 1906) under the jurisdiction 

25 of the Secretary of the Interior; or 


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1 ‘‘(D) any territorial waters under the ad2 ministrative jurisdiction of the Secretary of the 

3 Interior.’’. 

4 SEC. 106. REVISIONS TO NATIONAL PROGRAM. 

5 Section 207 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 

6 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6406) is amended— 

7 (1) in subsection (b)— 

8 (A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 

9 follows: 

10 ‘‘(2) enhancing public awareness, education, un11 derstanding, and appreciation of coral reefs and 

12 coral reef ecosystems, including the benefits healthy 

13 and resilient coral reefs provide to island and coastal 

14 communities and to the United States;’’; 

15 (B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as 

16 follows: 

17 ‘‘(3) removing or otherwise addressing, and pro18 viding assistance to States in removing or otherwise 

19 addressing, derelict fishing gear, marine debris, and 

20 abandoned vessels from coral reef ecosystems to con21 serve living marine resources;’’; 

22 (C) by amending paragraph (4) to read as 

23 follows: 

24 ‘‘(4) cooperative conservation, research, restora25 tion, and management of coral reefs and coral reef 


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1 ecosystems with local, regional, or international pro2 grams and partners, including research institutions 

3 located in a State;’’; and 

4 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(5) improving and promoting the resilience of 

6 corals, coral reefs, and coral reef ecosystems; 

7 ‘‘(6) activities designed to prevent or minimize 

8 the likelihood of vessel impacts or other physical 

9 damage to coral reefs, including any at-risk reefs 

10 identified under section 207(d); and 

11 ‘‘(7) centrally archiving, managing, and distrib12 uting data sets and coral reef ecosystem assessments 

13 and making such information readily available on 

14 public Internet websites, including, at the discretion 

15 of the Administrator, on the public Internet websites 

16 of local, regional, or international programs and 

17 partners.’’; and 

18 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(c) VESSEL GROUNDING INVENTORY.—The Sec20 retary, in coordination with other Federal agencies, may 

21 establish and maintain an inventory of all vessel grounding 

22 incidents involving coral reefs, including a description of— 

23 ‘‘(1) the impacts to such coral reefs and related 

24 natural resources; 

25 ‘‘(2) vessel and ownership information; 


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1 ‘‘(3) an estimate of the costs for— 

2 ‘‘(A) removal of the vessel; or 

3 ‘‘(B) restoration of the impacted reef; 

4 ‘‘(4) to the extent practicable, the actual costs, 

5 including costs estimated under section 206(e), that 

6 were incurred by each party that participated in 

7 any— 

8 ‘‘(A) removal of the vessel; or 

9 ‘‘(B) restoration of the impacted reef; 

10 ‘‘(5) the response action taken by the vessel 

11 owner, the Secretary, the Commandant of the Coast 

12 Guard, or other Federal or State agencies; 

13 ‘‘(6) the status of the response action, including 

14 the dates of vessel removal and coral reef restora15 tion, and any actions taken to prevent future 

16 grounding incidents; and 

17 ‘‘(7) any other pertinent information the Sec18 retary deems appropriate. 

19 ‘‘(d) AT-RISK REEFS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) INVENTORY.—The Secretary may establish 

21 and maintain a nationwide inventory of at-risk reefs, 

22 including proposed remediation to address threats or 

23 damage to at-risk reefs identified under this sub24 section. 


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1 ‘‘(2) IDENTIFICATION.—The Secretary may use 

2 data and information collected or compiled under 

3 this title or any other available information source to 

4 identify at-risk reefs to be included in the inventory 

5 under paragraph (1). 

6 ‘‘(3) REMEDIATION.—The Secretary may iden7 tify appropriate measures, including measures taken 

8 by other agencies, to remediate at-risk reefs, includ9 ing— 

10 ‘‘(A) recommendations to prevent, reduce 

11 the likelihood, or otherwise address negative im12 pacts and incidents; 

13 ‘‘(B) cooperative actions with other Fed14 eral, State, and local agencies and nongovern15 mental partners; and 

16 ‘‘(C) a strategy and timetable to imple17 ment such measures and recommendations. 

18 ‘‘(4) MEASURES TAKEN.—To the extent prac19 ticable, the Secretary may track any measures taken 

20 to remediate at-risk reefs identified under paragraph 

21 (2), including any measures identified and taken 

22 under paragraph (3). 

23 ‘‘(5) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall make 

24 any inventory established and maintained under this 

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1 ures identified under paragraph (3), and a descrip2 tion of any actions tracked under paragraph (4), 

3 readily available to the public on a government 

4 Internet website. 

5 ‘‘(e) DATA STEWARDSHIP AND ACCESSIBILITY.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordina7 tion with similar efforts at other Departments and 

8 agencies, shall provide for the long-term stewardship 

9 and public accessibility of all environmental data and 

10 information collected under this title. 

11 ‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary shall— 

12 ‘‘(A) archive environmental data, research, 

13 and similar information collected with the use 

14 of Federal funds; 

15 ‘‘(B) to the greatest extent practicable, 

16 make such environmental data and information 

17 readily available to the public on a government 

18 Internet website; 

19 ‘‘(C) develop standards, protocols, and pro20 cedures for sharing Federal data with non-Fed21 eral partner agencies and the private sector or 

22 academia; and 

23 ‘‘(D) develop metadata standards for coral 

24 reef ecosystems in accordance with Federal Ge25 ographic Data Committee guidelines.’’. 


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1 SEC. 107. REVISIONS TO EFFECTIVENESS REPORTS. 

2 Section 208 of the of the Coral Reef Conservation 

3 Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6407) is amended to read as fol4 lows: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 208. EFFECTIVENESS REPORTS. 

6 ‘‘Not less than once every 5 years, the Secretary, in 

7 cooperation with the United States Coral Reef Task 

8 Force, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 

9 Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Com10 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of Representa11 tives a report, with respect to the 5 fiscal years preceding 

12 the year in which the report is submitted, that— 

13 ‘‘(1) describes the funds obligated by each Fed14 eral agency to implement the national coral reef ac15 tion strategy; 

16 ‘‘(2) summarizes all actions taken by Federal 

17 and non-Federal entities under the national coral 

18 reef action strategy; 

19 ‘‘(3) provides a State-by-State summary of Fed20 eral and non-Federal contributions toward the costs 

21 of each project for which a grant was awarded under 

22 the coral reef conservation grant program under sec23 tion 204; 

24 ‘‘(4) provides an accounting of Federal funds 

25 transferred to a nonprofit organization and non-Fed26 eral matching funds provided by such nonprofit orVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:22 Jun 06, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5996.IH H5996

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1 ganization under the coral reef public-private part2 nership under section 205; 

3 ‘‘(5) summarizes emergency response actions 

4 undertaken or authorized under section 206; 

5 ‘‘(6) summarizes the information contained in 

6 any vessel grounding inventory under section 207(c) 

7 and any additional authorization or funding needed 

8 for response and removal of vessels listed in such in9 ventory; 

10 ‘‘(7) provides a summary of any at-risk reefs 

11 identified under section 207(d) and any remediation 

12 actions recommended, underway, or taken under 

13 such section; 

14 ‘‘(8) assesses the conditions of coral reefs in the 

15 United States, accomplishments under this title, and 

16 the effectiveness of management actions to address 

17 threats to coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems; and 

18 ‘‘(9) any other pertinent information, as consid19 ered appropriate by the Secretary.’’. 

20 SEC. 108. ESTABLISHMENT OF UNITED STATES CORAL 

21 REEF TASK FORCE. 

22 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Coral Reef Conservation Act 

23 of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is amended— 

24 (1) by redesignating sections 209 and 210 as 

25 sections 214 and 215, respectively; and 


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1 (2) by inserting after section 208 the following: 

2 ‘‘SEC. 209. UNITED STATES CORAL REEF TASK FORCE. 

3 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established 

4 the United States Coral Reef Task Force. 

5 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The duties of the United States Coral 

6 Reef Task Force shall be to coordinate and strengthen 

7 Federal, State, international, and local actions to conserve 

8 and restore coral reef ecosystems by— 

9 ‘‘(1) supporting, in cooperation with non-Fed10 eral partners as appropriate, activities regarding the 

11 mapping, monitoring, research, conservation, mitiga12 tion, and restoration of coral reefs and coral reef 

13 ecosystems; 

14 ‘‘(2) implementing the policy and Federal agen15 cy responsibilities set forth in Executive Order 

16 13089 (63 Fed. Reg. 32701; relating to coral reef 

17 protection) (as in effect on June 11, 1998), the na18 tional coral reef action strategy, and activities au19 thorized by this title; 

20 ‘‘(3) analyzing the United States role in inter21 national trade and protection of coral species; 

22 ‘‘(4) enhancing public awareness, education, un23 derstanding, and appreciation of coral reefs and 

24 coral reef ecosystems, including the benefits healthy 


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1 and resilient coral reefs provide to island and coastal 

2 communities and the United States; 

3 ‘‘(5) supporting coral reef ecosystem research, 

4 including on the ecological and economic benefits of 

5 coral reefs, both extramurally and across govern6 ment agencies; and 

7 ‘‘(6) encouraging implementation of strategies 

8 and actions for the conservation and sustainable use 

9 of coral reef resources worldwide. 

10 ‘‘(c) LEADERSHIP.—The Secretary of Commerce, 

11 represented ex officio by the Administrator of the National 

12 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Sec13 retary of the Interior shall lead the United States Coral 

14 Reef Task Force as co-chairs. 

15 ‘‘(d) VOTING MEMBERSHIP.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The voting members of the 

17 United States Coral Reef Task Force shall be com18 prised of— 

19 ‘‘(A) the co-chairs designated under sub20 section (c); 

21 ‘‘(B) the Federal agency members specified 

22 by Executive Order 13089 (63 Fed. Reg. 

23 32701; relating to coral reef protection) (as in 

24 effect on June 11, 1998); 


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1 ‘‘(C) the Secretary of the Army, rep2 resented ex officio by the Assistant Secretary of 

3 the Army for Civil Works of the Corps of Engi4 neers; 

5 ‘‘(D) the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(E) the Governor, if such Governor elects 

8 to participate in the United States Coral Reef 

9 Task Force, of— 

10 ‘‘(i) the State of Florida; 

11 ‘‘(ii) the State of Hawaii; 

12 ‘‘(iii) American Samoa; 

13 ‘‘(iv) Guam; 

14 ‘‘(v) the Commonwealth of the North15 ern Mariana Islands; 

16 ‘‘(vi) Puerto Rico; and 

17 ‘‘(vii) the Virgin Islands of the United 

18 States. 

19 ‘‘(e) NON-VOTING MEMBERSHIP.— 

20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The non-voting members of 

21 the United States Coral Reef Task Force shall be 

22 comprised of— 

23 ‘‘(A) the President or a representative of 

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1 ticipate, of each of the Freely Associated States 

2 of— 

3 ‘‘(i) the Federated States of Micro4 nesia; 

5 ‘‘(ii) the Republic of the Marshall Is6 lands; and 

7 ‘‘(iii) the Republic of Palau. 

8 ‘‘(B) Representatives of each of the rel9 evant fishery management councils, selected by 

10 such councils, established under section 302 of 

11 the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 

12 and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1852) includ13 ing— 

14 ‘‘(i) the Caribbean Fishery Manage15 ment Council; 

16 ‘‘(ii) the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Man17 agement Council; 

18 ‘‘(iii) the South Atlantic Fishery Man19 agement Council; and 

20 ‘‘(iv) the Western Pacific Fishery 

21 Management Council; 

22 ‘‘(f) RESPONSIBILITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCY MEM23 BERS.—The Federal members of the United States Coral 

24 Reef Task Force shall— 


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1 ‘‘(1) identify actions by their agencies that may 

2 affect coral reef ecosystems; 

3 ‘‘(2) utilize the authorities and programs of 

4 their agencies to carry out the duties of the United 

5 States Coral Reef Task Force as defined by sub6 section (b); and 

7 ‘‘(3) implement the national coral reef action 

8 strategy and any other coordinated efforts approved 

9 by the United States Coral Reef Task Force. 

10 ‘‘(g) WORKING GROUPS.—The co-chairs of the 

11 United States Coral Reef Task Force may establish work12 ing groups as necessary to advance the purposes of this 

13 title, including— 

14 ‘‘(1) at the request of members of the United 

15 States Coral Reef Task Force; and 

16 ‘‘(2) working groups for which vested stake17 holders, including nongovernmental organizations 

18 and research institutions, such as marine labora19 tories and coral reef institutes, are participants. 

20 ‘‘(h) NONAPPLICATION OF FACA.—The Federal Ad21 visory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 

22 the United States Coral Reef Task Force or working 

23 groups established by the United States Coral Reef Task 

24 Force.’’. 


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1 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The Coral Reef 

2 Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is 

3 amended by inserting ‘‘United States’’ before ‘‘Coral Reef 

4 Task Force’’ each place it appears where ‘‘United States’’ 

5 does not precede ‘‘Coral Reef Task Force’’. 

6 SEC. 109. AGREEMENTS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Coral Reef Conservation Act 

8 of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is further amended by 

9 inserting after section 209, as added by this Act, the fol10 lowing: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 210. AGREEMENTS. 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may execute and 

13 perform such contracts, leases, grants, cooperative agree14 ments, or other transactions as may be necessary to carry 

15 out the purposes of this title. 

16 ‘‘(b) FUNDING.—Under an agreement entered into 

17 under subsection (a), the Secretary may fulfill the terms 

18 of the agreement by reimbursing or providing appro19 priated funds to, and may receive funds or reimburse20 ments from— 

21 ‘‘(1) Federal agencies, instrumentalities and 

22 laboratories; 

23 ‘‘(2) State and local governments; 

24 ‘‘(3) Federally recognized Indian Tribes and In25 dian Tribal organizations; 


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1 ‘‘(4) international organizations; 

2 ‘‘(5) foreign governments; 

3 ‘‘(6) research institutions, including marine lab4 oratories and coral reef institutes; 

5 ‘‘(7) nongovernmental organizations; 

6 ‘‘(8) nonprofit organizations; 

7 ‘‘(9) commercial organizations; and 

8 ‘‘(10) other public and private persons or enti9 ties, as necessary for purposes identified in section 

10 202 and actions taken under section 206. 

11 ‘‘(c) COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE.— 

12 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es13 tablish a cooperative institute or cooperative insti14 tutes for the purpose of advancing and sustaining 

15 essential capability in coral reef research. Such insti16 tute or institutes shall include university-based coral 

17 reef research centers, including marine laboratories 

18 and coral reef institutes, located in States with coral 

19 reefs. 

20 ‘‘(2) FUNCTIONS.—The cooperative institute or 

21 institutes established under this section shall— 

22 ‘‘(A) conduct bona fide research, observa23 tion, and monitoring of coral reef ecosystems 

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1 source management and coral reef restoration; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(B) through agreements with centers re4 ferred to in paragraph (1)— 

5 ‘‘(i) collaborate directly with govern6 mental resource management agencies, 

7 nonprofit organizations, academic research 

8 institutions, and other research organiza9 tions; 

10 ‘‘(ii) build capacity within resource 

11 management agencies to establish research 

12 priorities, plan interdisciplinary research 

13 projects, and make effective use of re14 search results; and 

15 ‘‘(iii) conduct public education and 

16 awareness programs for policymakers, re17 source managers, and the general public on 

18 coral reef ecosystems, best practices for 

19 coral reef and ecosystem management, con20 servation, and restoration, their value, and 

21 threats to their sustainability. 

22 ‘‘(d) MULTIYEAR COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The 

23 Secretary may enter into, extend, or renegotiate multiyear 

24 cooperative agreements with the heads of other Federal, 

25 State, and local government agencies and other vested 


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1 stakeholders, including nongovernmental organizations 

2 and research institutions, such as marine laboratories and 

3 coral reef institutes, to further the purposes of this title 

4 consistent with the national coral reef action strategy de5 veloped under section 203. 

6 ‘‘(e) OTHER USE OF AGENCIES’ RESOURCES.—For 

7 purposes related to the conservation, preservation, protec8 tion, restoration, or replacement of coral reefs or coral reef 

9 ecosystems and the enforcement of this title, the Secretary 

10 is authorized to use, with their consent and with or with11 out reimbursement, the land, services, equipment, per12 sonnel, and facilities of any Department, agency, or in13 strumentality of the United States, or of any State, local 

14 government, or Indian tribal government, or of any polit15 ical subdivision thereof, or of any foreign government or 

16 international organization.’’. 

17 SEC. 110. PERMITS. 

18 The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

19 6401 et seq.) is further amended by inserting after section 

20 210, as added by this Act, the following: 

21 ‘‘SEC. 211. PERMITS. 

22 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, in accord23 ance with this section and regulations promulgated under 

24 this title, issue a permit authorizing the conduct of bona 


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1 fide research or other activities compatible with one or 

2 more of the purposes in section 202 of this title. 

3 ‘‘(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—The Secretary may 

4 place any terms and conditions on a permit issued under 

5 this section that the Secretary deems reasonable. 

6 ‘‘(c) FEES.— 

7 ‘‘(1) ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION.—Subject 

8 to regulations promulgated under this title, the Sec9 retary may assess and collect fees as specified in this 

10 subsection. 

11 ‘‘(2) AMOUNT.—Any fee assessed shall be equal 

12 to the sum of— 

13 ‘‘(A) all costs incurred, or expected to be 

14 incurred, by the Secretary in processing the 

15 permit application, including indirect costs; and 

16 ‘‘(B) if the permit is approved, all costs in17 curred, or expected to be incurred, by the Sec18 retary as a direct result of the conduct of the 

19 activity for which the permit is issued. 

20 ‘‘(3) USE OF FEES.—Amounts collected by the 

21 Secretary in the form of fees under this section may 

22 be used by the Secretary for issuing and admin23 istering permits under this section. 


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1 ‘‘(4) WAIVER OR REDUCTION OF FEES.—For 

2 any fee assessed under paragraph (2) of this sub3 section, the Secretary may— 

4 ‘‘(A) accept in-kind contributions in lieu of 

5 a fee; or 

6 ‘‘(B) waive or reduce the fee. 

7 ‘‘(d) FISHING.—Nothing in this section shall be con8 sidered to require a person to obtain a permit under this 

9 section for the conduct of any fishing activities not prohib10 ited by this title or regulations promulgated thereunder.’’. 

11 SEC. 111. REGULATIONS. 

12 The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

13 6401 et seq.) is further amended by inserting after section 

14 211, as added by this Act, the following: 

15 ‘‘SEC. 212. REGULATIONS. 

16 ‘‘The Secretary may issue such regulations as are 

17 necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of 

18 this title. This title and any regulations promulgated 

19 thereunder shall be applied in accordance with inter20 national law. No restrictions shall apply to or be enforced 

21 against a person who is not a citizen, national, or resident 

22 alien of the United States (including foreign-flag vessels) 

23 unless in accordance with international law.’’. 


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1 SEC. 112. USE OF RECOVERED AMOUNTS. 

2 The Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

3 6401 et seq.) is further amended by inserting after section 

4 212, as added by this Act, the following: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 213. USE OF RECOVERED AMOUNTS. 

6 ‘‘Any amounts available to the Secretary of Com7 merce that are attributable to fines, penalties, or forfeit8 ures of property (including proceeds from the sale of such 

9 forfeited property) imposed for violations of any marine 

10 resource law enforced by such Secretary, or regulations 

11 implementing such law, for damages to corals, coral reefs, 

12 or coral reef ecosystems shall be used by such Secretary— 

13 ‘‘(1) for the benefit of the coral reef ecosystem 

14 impacted by the applicable violation, to the extent 

15 practicable; 

16 ‘‘(2) to carry out emergency response activities 

17 authorized under section 206, including to reimburse 

18 any Federal, State or local government agency for 

19 response costs incurred; or 

20 ‘‘(3) to carry out the purposes of this title, in21 cluding grants of financial assistance for coral reef 

22 conservation projects.’’. 

23 SEC. 113. REVISIONS TO AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA24 TIONS. 

25 Section 214 of the of the Coral Reef Conservation 

26 Act of 2000, as redesignated by this Act, is amended— 


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1 (1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol2 lows: 

3 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap4 propriated to the Secretary of Commerce to carry out this 

5 title $27,100,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 

6 2022, which may remain available until expended.’’; 

7 (2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘$1,000,000’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘$2,000,000’’; 

9 (3) by amending subsection (c) to read as fol10 lows: 

11 ‘‘(c) CORAL REEF CONSERVATION GRANT PRO12 GRAM.—From the amounts appropriated under subsection 

13 (a) for a fiscal year, there shall be made available to the 

14 Secretary of Commerce not less than $9,000,000 for the 

15 coral reef conservation grant program under section 

16 204.’’; and 

17 (4) by amending subsection (d) to read as fol18 lows: 

19 ‘‘(d) NATIONAL PROGRAM.—From the amounts ap20 propriated under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, there 

21 shall be made available to the Secretary of Commerce not 

22 less than $16,000,000 for activities conducted under sec23 tion 207.’’. 


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1 SEC. 114. REVISIONS TO DEFINITIONS. 

2 Section 215 of the of the Coral Reef Conservation 

3 Act of 2000, as redesignated by this Act, is amended— 

4 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, unless oth5 erwise specified’’ after ‘‘National Oceanic and At6 mospheric Administration’’; 

7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(2) AT-RISK REEF.—The term ‘at-risk reef’ 

10 means a coral reef that has a high exposure to vessel 

11 impacts, marine debris, harmful algal blooms, over12 fishing, land-based or marine-based pollution, coast13 al development, and changes in ocean temperature 

14 and chemistry. 

15 ‘‘(3) BONA FIDE RESEARCH.—The term ‘bona 

16 fide research’ means scientific research on corals or 

17 coral reefs, the results of which are likely— 

18 ‘‘(A) to be eligible for publication in a 

19 peer-reviewed scientific journal; 

20 ‘‘(B) to contribute to the basic knowledge 

21 of coral biology or coral reef ecology; 

22 ‘‘(C) to improve management of coral reefs 

23 and coral reef ecosystems; or 

24 ‘‘(D) to identify, evaluate, or resolve con25 servation issues or decisions.’’; 


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1 (3) by redesignating the original paragraph (2) 

2 as paragraph (4) and amending it to read as follows: 

3 ‘‘(4) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘conservation’ 

4 means the use of any methods and procedures nec5 essary to preserve, restore, or sustain corals, coral 

6 reefs, and associated marine species as resilient, di7 verse, viable, and self-perpetuating coral reef eco8 systems, including— 

9 ‘‘(A) all activities associated with resource 

10 management, such as assessment, research, 

11 protection, restoration, sustainable use, and 

12 management of habitat; 

13 ‘‘(B) mapping, observation, or monitoring 

14 of coral reef ecosystems; 

15 ‘‘(C) scientific expertise and technical as16 sistance in the development and implementation 

17 of management strategies for marine protected 

18 areas and marine resources consistent with the 

19 National Marine Sanctuaries Act (16 U.S.C. 

20 1431 et seq.) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fish21 ery Conservation and Management Act (16 

22 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and with respect for the 

23 scientific, technical, and management expertise 

24 and responsibilities of State fish and wildlife 

25 management agencies; 


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1 ‘‘(D) law enforcement; 

2 ‘‘(E) conflict resolution initiatives; 

3 ‘‘(F) community outreach and education; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(G) activities that promote safe and eco6 logically sound navigation.’’; 

7 (4) by redesignating the original paragraph (3) 

8 as paragraph (5) and by amending subparagraph 

9 (B) of such paragraph to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘(B) all species of the families Milleporidae 

11 (fire corals) and Stylasteridae (stylasterid 

12 hydrocorals), of the class Hydrozoa.’’; 

13 (5) by redesignating the original paragraph (4) 

14 as paragraph (6) and amending it to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘(6) CORAL REEF.—The term ‘coral reef’ 

16 means limestone structures in the form of a reef or 

17 shoal, comprised in whole or in part by living coral, 

18 skeletal remains of coral, and other associated sessile 

19 invertebrates and marine plants.’’; 

20 (6) by inserting after paragraph (6), as so re21 designated, the following: 

22 ‘‘(7) CORAL REEF COMPONENT.—The term 

23 ‘coral reef component’ means any part of a coral 

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1 mains of coral, and other associated sessile inverte2 brates or marine plants.’’; 

3 (7) by redesignating the original paragraph (5) 

4 as paragraph (8) and amending it to read as follows: 

5 ‘‘(8) CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM.—The term 

6 ‘coral reef ecosystem’ means the system of coral and 

7 other geographically and ecologically associated ma8 rine species, habitats, and environment and the 

9 processes that control its dynamics.’’; 

10 (8) by redesignating the original paragraph (6) 

11 as paragraph (9); 

12 (9) by inserting after paragraph (9), as so re13 designated, the following: 

14 ‘‘(10) DAMAGES.—The term ‘damages’ in15 cludes— 

16 ‘‘(A) compensation for— 

17 ‘‘(i)(I) the cost of replacement, res18 toration, remediation, or acquisition of the 

19 equivalent of a coral or coral reef resource; 

20 and 

21 ‘‘(II) the value of the lost use or serv22 ices of a coral or coral reef resource pend23 ing the replacement, restoration, remedi24 ation, or acquisition of the equivalent coral 

25 or coral reef resource; or 


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1 ‘‘(ii) the value of a coral or coral reef 

2 resource if the coral or coral reef resource 

3 cannot be replaced, restored, or remediated 

4 or if the equivalent of such resource cannot 

5 be acquired; and 

6 ‘‘(B) the reasonable cost of monitoring ap7 propriate to the injured, replaced, restored, or 

8 remediated coral or coral reef resource. 

9 ‘‘(11) NATIONAL CORAL REEF ACTION STRAT10 EGY.—The term ‘national coral reef action strategy’ 

11 means the strategy developed under section 203. 

12 ‘‘(12) RESILIENCE.—The term ‘resilience’ 

13 means the capacity for corals, coral reefs, or coral 

14 reef ecosystems to resist and recover from natural 

15 and human disturbance and maintain structure and 

16 function to allow the continued provision of eco17 system goods and services, as determined by clearly 

18 identifiable, measurable, and science-based stand19 ards. 

20 ‘‘(13) RESPONSE COSTS.—The term ‘response 

21 costs’ means the costs of actions that would be nec22 essary to— 

23 ‘‘(A) minimize destruction, loss, or taking 

24 of, or injury to a coral reef or component there25 of; 


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1 ‘‘(B) prevent or minimize the imminent 

2 risks of such destruction, loss, or taking of, or 

3 injury to; 

4 ‘‘(C) assess the reasonable costs of damage 

5 as determined under section 206(e); and 

6 ‘‘(D) respond to or otherwise address an 

7 emergency pertaining a coral reef or coral reef 

8 ecosystem. 

9 ‘‘(14) RESTORATION.—The term ‘restoration’ 

10 means the use of methods and procedures necessary 

11 to enhance, rehabilitate, recreate, or create, a native, 

12 functioning coral reef or coral reef ecosystem, in 

13 part or in full, within suitable waters of the histor14 ical geographic range of such ecosystems.’’; 

15 (10) by redesignating the original paragraph 

16 (7) as paragraph (15); 

17 (11) by redesignating the original paragraph 

18 (8) as paragraph (16) and in such paragraph by 

19 striking ‘‘U.S.’’ each place it appears and inserting 

20 ‘‘United States’’; and 

21 (12) by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(17) UNITED STATES CORAL REEF TASK

23 FORCE.—The term ‘United States Coral Reef Task 

24 Force’ means the task force established under sec25 tion 209.’’. 


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1 SEC. 115. CONFORMING AND CLERICAL AMENDMENTS. 

2 (a) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The Coral Reef 

3 Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is 

4 amended by striking ‘‘Administrator’’ each place it ap5 pears and inserting ‘‘Secretary’’ in the following sub6 sections— 

7 (1) subsection (a) of section 203 (16 U.S.C. 

8 6402); 

9 (2) subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), 

10 (h), (i), and (j) of section 204 (16 U.S.C. 6403); 

11 (3) subsections (a), (c), and (d) of section 205 

12 (16 U.S.C. 6404); and 

13 (4) subsection (a) of section 206 (16 U.S.C. 

14 6405). 

15 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 201 of the 

16 Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et 

17 seq.) is amended to read as follows: 

18 ‘‘SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

19 ‘‘(a) SHORT TITLE.—This title may be cited as the 

20 ‘Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000’. 

21 ‘‘(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents 

22 for this title is as follows: 

‘‘Sec. 201. Short Title. 

‘‘Sec. 202. Purposes. 

‘‘Sec. 203. National Coral Reef Action Strategy. 

‘‘Sec. 204. Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program. 

‘‘Sec. 205. Coral Reef Public-Private Partnership. 

‘‘Sec. 206. Emergency Response and Assistance. 

‘‘Sec. 207. National Program. 

‘‘Sec. 208. Effectiveness Reports. 


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‘‘Sec. 209. United States Coral Reef Task Force. 

‘‘Sec. 210. Agreements. 

‘‘Sec. 211. Permits. 

‘‘Sec. 212. Regulations. 

‘‘Sec. 213. Use of Recovered Amounts. 

‘‘Sec. 214. Authorization of Appropriations. 

‘‘Sec. 215. Definitions.’’. 

1 TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF THE 

2 INTERIOR CORAL REEF AU3 THORITIES 

4 SEC. 201. CORAL REEF CONSERVATION AND ASSISTANCE. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior may 

6 conduct activities to conserve coral reefs and coral reef 

7 ecosystems within— 

8 (1) any unit of the National Park System; 

9 (2) any unit of the National Wildlife Refuge 

10 System; 

11 (3) any National Monument or Marine National 

12 Monument designated by an Act of Congress or 

13 under section 320301 of title 54, United States 

14 Code (commonly known as the Antiquities Act of 

15 1906) under the administrative jurisdiction of the 

16 Secretary; or 

17 (4) any other Federal land unit or any terri18 torial waters under the administration of the Sec19 retary. 

20 (b) ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may provide tech21 nical assistance, scientific expertise, and, subject to the 

22 availability of appropriations, financial assistance grants 


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1 for the conservation of coral reefs in proximity to the Fed2 eral land and waters described in paragraph (a) to— 

3 (1) entities eligible to receive a grant under sec4 tion 204 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 

5 (16 U.S.C. 6403); 

6 (2) territories of the United States; and 

7 (3) Federally recognized Indian Tribes. 

8 (c) REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall ensure that 

9 any action taken by the Secretary under this title is con10 sistent with the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 

11 U.S.C. 6401), as amended by this Act, including the na12 tional coral reef action strategy developed under section 

13 203 of such Act (16 U.S.C. 6402). 

14 (d) OIA CORAL REEF INITIATIVE.—The Secretary 

15 shall establish within the Office of Insular Affairs a Coral 

16 Reef Initiative Program to— 

17 (1) provide grant funding to support local man18 agement, conservation, and protection of coral reef 

19 ecosystems in— 

20 (A) insular areas; and 

21 (B) freely associated states; 

22 (2) complement the other conservation and as23 sistance activities conducted under this title; and 

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1 ties that advance the purposes of this title, as con2 sidered appropriate by the Secretary. 

3 SEC. 202. NATIONAL CORAL REEF ACTION STRATEGY. 

4 Section 203(a) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act 

5 of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6402(a)), as amended by this Act, is 

6 further amended by inserting ‘‘, in consultation with the 

7 Secretary of the Interior,’’ before ‘‘shall periodically review 

8 and revise’’. 

9 SEC. 203. USGS CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES PRO10 GRAM. 

11 The Secretary shall establish within the United 

12 States Geological Survey a program to be known at the 

13 Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies Program to— 

14 (1) research, monitor, and map coral reef eco15 systems to understand coral reef processes and as16 sess coral reef health, including the effects of 

17 changes in ocean temperature and chemistry, ocean 

18 acidification, land-based sources of pollution includ19 ing coastal runoff, sediment erosion and turbidity, 

20 and harmful algal blooms; 

21 (2) develop science and tools to assess and help 

22 address the consequences of changing coral reef 

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1 tion, and to inform the management of coral reefs 

2 and coral reef ecosystems; 

3 (3) complement the other conservation and as4 sistance activities conducted under this title; 

5 (4) provide technical assistance, subject to the 

6 availability of appropriations, for research on coral 

7 reefs and coral reef ecosystems to— 

8 (A) entities eligible to receive a grant 

9 under section 204 of the Coral Reef Conserva10 tion Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6403); and 

11 (B) territories of the United States; and 

12 (5) carry out other scientific and conservation 

13 activities that advance the purposes of this title, as 

14 considered appropriate by the Secretary. 

15 SEC. 204. USE OF RECOVERED AMOUNTS. 

16 All amounts available to the Secretary of the Interior 

17 that are attributable to fines, penalties, and forfeitures of 

18 property (or proceeds from the sale of such forfeited prop19 erty) imposed for violations of any natural resource law 

20 enforced by the Secretary of the Interior, including the 

21 Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 

22 and the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3371 

23 et seq.), and regulations implementing such law, for dam24 ages to corals, coral reefs, or coral reef ecosystems, shall 

25 be used by the Secretary of the Interior— 


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1 (1) for the benefit of the coral reef ecosystem 

2 impacted by the applicable violation, to the extent 

3 practicable; 

4 (2) to carry out emergency response activities 

5 authorized under section 206 of the Coral Reef Con6 servation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6405), including 

7 to reimburse any Federal, State or local government 

8 agency for response costs incurred; or 

9 (3) to carry out the purposes of this title, in10 cluding grants of financial assistance for coral reef 

11 conservation projects. 

12 SEC. 205. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro14 priated to the Secretary of the Interior to carry out this 

15 title $11,200,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 

16 2022, which may remain available until expended. 

17 (b) OIA CORAL REEF INITIATIVE PROGRAM.—From 

18 the amounts appropriated under subsection (a) for a fiscal 

19 year, there shall be made available to the Secretary of the 

20 Interior, acting through the Assistant Secretary of the In21 terior for Insular Areas, not less than $2,200,000 for the 

22 grant program under section 201(d). 

23 (c) USGS CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM STUDIES PRO24 GRAM.—From the amounts appropriated under subsection 

25 (a) for a fiscal year, there shall be made available to the 


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1 Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of 

2 the United States Geological Survey, not less than 

3 $4,000,000 for the Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies Pro4 gram under section 203. 

5 SEC. 206. DEFINITIONS. 

6 In this title: 

7 (1) CONSERVATION.—The term ‘‘conservation’’ 

8 has the same meaning given such term under section 

9 215 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, as 

10 redesignated by this Act. 

11 (2) CORAL REEF.—The term ‘‘coral reef’’ has 

12 the same meaning given such term under section 

13 215 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, as 

14 redesignated by this Act. 

15 (3) CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM.—The term 

16 ‘‘coral reef ecosystem’’ has the same meaning given 

17 such term under section 215 of the Coral Reef Con18 servation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6409), as redesig19 nated by this Act. 

20 (4) FREELY ASSOCIATED STATE.—The term 

21 ‘‘Freely Associated State’’ means each of the Repub22 lic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of 

23 Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau in an applica24 ble Compact of Free Association with the United 

25 States. 


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1 (5) INSULAR AREA.—The term ‘‘Insular Area’’ 

2 means each of American Samoa, Guam, the Com3 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 

4 the Virgin Islands of the United States. 

5 (6) RESILIENCE.—The term ‘‘resilience’’ has 

6 the same meaning given such term under section 

7 215 of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, as 

8 redesignated by this Act. 

9 TITLE III—AMENDMENTS TO NA10 TIONAL FISHING ENHANCE11 MENT ACT OF 1984 

12 SEC. 301. REVISIONS TO NATIONAL FISHING ENHANCE13 MENT ACT OF 1984. 

14 The National Fishing Enhancement Act of 1984 (33 

15 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.) is amended— 

16 (1) in section 203 (33 U.S.C. 2102)— 

17 (A) by amending the heading to read as 

18 follows: ‘‘STANDARDS FOR ARTIFICIAL

19 REEFS’’; 

20 (B) by striking ‘‘Based on the best sci21 entific information available,’’ and inserting the 

22 following: 

23 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Based on the best scientific in24 formation available,’’; 


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1 (C) by redesignating paragraphs 2 through 

2 5 as paragraphs 3 through 6, respectively, and 

3 inserting after paragraph (1) the following: 

4 ‘‘(2) not have significant adverse effects on es5 sential fish habitat and fishery resources (as those 

6 terms are defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Ste7 vens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 

8 U.S.C. 1802));’’; 

9 (D) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, 

10 by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

11 (E) in paragraph (6), by striking the pe12 riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 

13 (F) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(7) be consistent with the national coral reef 

15 action strategy developed under section 203 of the 

16 Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

17 6402); 

18 ‘‘(8) not have significant adverse effects on nat19 ural coral reefs, including coral reefs that have un20 dergone restoration and in situ coral nurseries; and 

21 ‘‘(9) enhance recreational diving opportunities, 

22 to the extent practicable. 

23 ‘‘(b) DECOMMISSION AND PREPARATION FOR USE.— 

24 Before a man-made structure may be used for an artificial 

25 reef under this title, the Assistant Secretary of the Army 


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1 for Civil Works of the Corps of Engineers, the Secretary 

2 of Commerce, or the Secretary of the Interior, as applica3 ble, shall ensure that such structure is properly decommis4 sioned and prepared for use as an artificial reef in accord5 ance with— 

6 ‘‘(1) applicable environmental laws; 

7 ‘‘(2) the requirements of this title, including the 

8 national guidelines developed under subsection (c) 

9 and the national artificial reef plan developed under 

10 section 204; 

11 ‘‘(3) the national coral reef action strategy de12 veloped under section 203 of the Coral Reef Con13 servation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6402); and 

14 ‘‘(4) such additional terms and conditions as 

15 the Secretaries, as applicable, consider appropriate. 

16 ‘‘(c) NATIONAL GUIDELINES.—The Secretary of 

17 Commerce, in consultation with the United States Coral 

18 Reef Task Force, shall develop national guidelines for 

19 man-made structures suitable as artificial reef habitat for 

20 coral and other associated marine species, which shall— 

21 ‘‘(1) provide for durable, environmentally re22 sponsible artificial reefs; 

23 ‘‘(2) be consistent with the standards outlined 

24 in paragraph (a) and be in accordance with sub25 section (b); 


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1 ‘‘(3) be consistent with the best management 

2 practices developed jointly by the Administrator of 

3 the Environmental Protection Agency and the Mari4 time Administrator under section 3516 of the Na5 tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 

6 2004 (Public Law 108–136); and 

7 ‘‘(4) satisfy other criteria, as determined by the 

8 Secretary. 

9 ‘‘(d) PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT.—The guide10 lines developed under subsection (c) shall be— 

11 ‘‘(1) published in the Federal Register; 

12 ‘‘(2) developed after opportunity for public com13 ment of not less than 90 days; 

14 ‘‘(3) finalized within 90 days after the end of 

15 such public comment period; and 

16 ‘‘(4) and, after finalized, made readily available 

17 to the public on a government Internet website. 

18 ‘‘(e) UPDATES TO NATIONAL GUIDELINES.—The 

19 Secretary, in consultation with the United States Coral 

20 Reef Task Force, shall review and revise the national 

21 guidelines under subsection (c), as appropriate, following 

22 public notice and comment. 

23 ‘‘(f) INCORPORATION INTO NATIONAL ARTIFICIAL

24 REEF PLAN.—The periodic review and revision required 

25 under subsection (e) may be satisfied by incorporating 


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1 such review and revision into the national artificial reef 

2 plan developed under section 204 and updates to such 

3 plan.’’; 

4 (2) in section 204 (33 U.S.C. 2103)— 

5 (A) by striking ‘‘Not later than’’ and in6 serting the following: 

7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than’’; 

8 (B) by striking ‘‘Managment’’ and insert9 ing ‘‘Management’’; and 

10 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(b) PERIODIC REVIEW AND REVISION.—The Sec12 retary, in consultation with the United States Coral Reef 

13 Task Force established under section 209 of the Coral 

14 Reef Conservation Act of 2000 and the other Federal and 

15 non-Federal parties listed in subsection (a), shall periodi16 cally review and revise the plan as necessary. 

17 ‘‘(c) PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENT.—The Sec18 retary shall provide for appropriate public notice and op19 portunity for public comment on any revised plan and 

20 make any finalized plan readily available to the public on 

21 a government Internet website. 

22 ‘‘(d) INCORPORATION INTO NATIONAL CORAL REEF

23 ACTION STRATEGY.—The periodic review and revision re24 quired under this subsection may be satisfied by incor25 porating such review and revision into the national coral 


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1 reef action strategy developed under section 203 of the 

2 Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6402) 

3 and updates of such strategy.’’; 

4 (3) by redesignating sections 206, 207, and 208 

5 (33 U.S.C. 2105, 33 U.S.C. 2206, and 33 U.S.C. 

6 2107) as sections 207, 208, and 209, respectively; 

7 and 

8 (4) by inserting after section 205 the following: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 206. TRANSFER OF MAN-MADE STRUCTURES. 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce and 

11 the Secretary of the Interior may each accept transfers, 

12 by gift or otherwise, of any vessels, aircraft, offshore rigs, 

13 or similar man-made structures suitable for use as an arti14 ficial reef and habitat for coral and other associated ma15 rine species. 

16 ‘‘(b) AGREEMENT.—An agreement for the transfer of 

17 an artificial reef structure under this section shall require 

18 that the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of the 

19 Interior, as applicable, use, site, construct, monitor, and 

20 manage the transferred structure only as an artificial reef 

21 in accordance with— 

22 ‘‘(1) this title; 

23 ‘‘(2) the national coral reef action strategy de24 veloped under section 203 of the Coral Reef Con25 servation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6402); 


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1 ‘‘(3) any applicable environmental laws; and 

2 ‘‘(4) such additional terms and conditions as 

3 the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of the 

4 Interior, as applicable, considers appropriate. 

5 ‘‘(c) NO FEDERAL COST.—The Secretary of Com6 merce or the Secretary of the Interior, respectively, shall 

7 ensure that no Federal costs are incurred for the decom8 missioning, preparation for use, or transfer of an artificial 

9 reef structure under this section.’’; and 

10 (5) in section 207 (33 U.S.C. 2105), as so re11 designated— 

12 (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 

13 follows: 

14 ‘‘(1) The term ‘artificial reef’ means a structure 

15 which is constructed or placed in waters covered 

16 under this title for the purpose of enhancing fishery 

17 resources, commercial and recreational fishing op18 portunities, or recreational diving opportunities.’’; 

19 (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 

20 follows: 

21 ‘‘(2) The term ‘State’ means each State of the 

22 United States, American Samoa, Guam, the North23 ern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands 

24 of the United States, and any other territory or pos25 session of the United States.’’; and 


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1 (C) by adding after paragraph (3) the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(4) The terms ‘coral’ and ‘coral reef’ have the 

4 meanings given such terms in section 215 of the 

5 Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 

6 6409).’’. 

7 TITLE IV—MISCELLANEOUS 

8 PROVISIONS 

9 SEC. 401. STOCK ASSESSMENTS UNDER MAGNUSON-STE10 VENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MAN11 AGEMENT ACT. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title IV of the Magnuson-Stevens 

13 Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 

14 1881 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 409. STOCK ASSESSMENTS FOR FISHERIES ASSOCI17 ATED WITH CORAL REEFS. 

18 ‘‘In preparing stock assessments under this Act, the 

19 Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, place emphasis 

20 on such assessments for economically important fisheries 

21 associated with coral reefs.’’. 

22 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

23 in the first section of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Con24 servation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1881 et seq.) 


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1 is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to 

2 title IV the following: 

‘‘Sec. 408. Deep sea coral research and technology program. 

‘‘Sec. 409. Stock assessments for fisheries associated with coral reefs.’’. 

3 SEC. 402. MEASURES TO COMBAT INVASIVE LIONFISH. 

4 (a) ADDITION OF SPECIES OF LIONFISH TO THE

5 LIST OF INJURIOUS SPECIES THAT ARE PROHIBITED

6 FROM BEING IMPORTED OR SHIPPED.—Section 42(a)(1) 

7 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting 

8 after ‘‘Dreissena polymorpha;’’ the following: ‘‘of the red 

9 lionfish of the species Pterois volitans; of the devil lionfish 

10 of the species Pterois miles; of the Hawaiian turkeyfish 

11 of the species Pterois sphex; of the soldier lionfish of the 

12 species Pterois russelii; of the clearfin lionfish of the spe13 cies Pterois radiata; of the species Pterois paucispinula; 

14 of the frillfin turkeyfish of the species Pterois mombasae; 

15 of the luna lionfish of the species Pterois lunalata; of the 

16 mandritsa of the species Pterois brevipectoralis; of the 

17 spotfin lionfish of the species Pterois antennata; of the 

18 scorpionfish of the species Pterois andover;’’. 

19 (b) EXEMPTION FROM PERMITTING FOR MOVEMENT

20 IN COMMERCE.—For purposes of section 14.21 of title 50, 

21 Code of Federal Regulations, deceased lionfish and 

22 lionfish products shall not be treated as wildlife requiring 

23 a permit pursuant to part 17 or 23 of such title. 

Æ 


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